To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing an Essential User Rebate for HGV, coach and van operators.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing an Essential User Rebate for HGV, coach and van operators.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of haulage capacity for food and drink businesses during the peak Christmas trading period, including the potential impact of increased demand from supermarkets and other retail sectors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of haulage capacity for food and drink businesses during the peak Christmas trading period, including the potential impact of increased demand from supermarkets and other retail sectors.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to help support small and medium sized hauliers with the rising cost of fuel.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to help support small and medium sized hauliers with the rising cost of fuel.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has considered introducing additional taxation on rail freight operations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has considered introducing additional taxation on rail freight operations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to change the tax treatment of fuel used in refrigerated road transport.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to change the tax treatment of fuel used in refrigerated road transport.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has considered introducing additional taxation on diesel used by commercial road haulage operators.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has considered introducing additional taxation on diesel used by commercial road haulage operators.

Just before my noble friend sits down, may I add to the point he has made? The noble Lord, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, as did the noble Lord, Lord Tunnicliffe, illustrated one of the points when he talked about what is called abstraction of revenue from other operators against the...

Just before my noble friend sits down, may I add to the point he has made? The noble Lord, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, as did the noble Lord, Lord Tunnicliffe, illustrated one of the points when he talked about what is called abstraction of revenue from other operators against the...

It is one of many.

It is one of many.

It will be exacerbated once all the passenger rail services that were under private operators are owned and operated by GBR. That conflict becomes worse, not better.

It will be exacerbated once all the passenger rail services that were under private operators are owned and operated by GBR. That conflict becomes worse, not better.

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Faulkner for supporting the premise that we need a directing mind for the railway. I hope I will not prolong the previous discussion but will say only this: only GBR, as the principal operator, has the expertise to decide how...

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Faulkner for supporting the premise that we need a directing mind for the railway. I hope I will not prolong the previous discussion but will say only this: only GBR, as the principal operator, has the expertise to decide how...

Is the Minister aware that the Cotswold Line Promotion Group, of which I have the honour to be president, at its own expense produces a timetable for the route between Paddington, Oxford, Worcester and Hereford? It is produced in co-operation with Great Western Railway, the present operator, and we hope...

Is the Minister aware that the Cotswold Line Promotion Group, of which I have the honour to be president, at its own expense produces a timetable for the route between Paddington, Oxford, Worcester and Hereford? It is produced in co-operation with Great Western Railway, the present operator, and we hope...

I am delighted to hear it. One of the things we need for the future is for as many people as possible to understand the totality of passenger train services on the network, whoever operates them, in order to sustain the maximum number of passengers in order to justify a...

I am delighted to hear it. One of the things we need for the future is for as many people as possible to understand the totality of passenger train services on the network, whoever operates them, in order to sustain the maximum number of passengers in order to justify a...

Before the Minister leaves the subject, I am glad that he is still working on those things that are supposed to be available but are very difficult to find. Does he recognise that, in addition to what can be made available online, it is beneficial, as the noble Lord, Lord...

Before the Minister leaves the subject, I am glad that he is still working on those things that are supposed to be available but are very difficult to find. Does he recognise that, in addition to what can be made available online, it is beneficial, as the noble Lord, Lord...

The noble Lord hits on a very useful topic. We are trying to—and will—remove the massive inconsistency in information between different train operators on the network. I sympathise very much with his view. If you tried to collect published information from all the train operators in Britain, it would come...

The noble Lord hits on a very useful topic. We are trying to—and will—remove the massive inconsistency in information between different train operators on the network. I sympathise very much with his view. If you tried to collect published information from all the train operators in Britain, it would come...

Will the Minister acknowledge that “have regard to” is the lowest form of legal obligation that can be imposed on a public body? Those of us with local government experience have come across language such as, “in general conformity with”, which is higher; “in conformity”, which is even higher; and...

Will the Minister acknowledge that “have regard to” is the lowest form of legal obligation that can be imposed on a public body? Those of us with local government experience have come across language such as, “in general conformity with”, which is higher; “in conformity”, which is even higher; and...

The consideration given to freight and indeed other sorts of services on the network will differ in accordance with time and location. GBR has a pretty serious job to do, but the reason why the freight growth target is enshrined in this legislation more than once is to emphasise the...

The consideration given to freight and indeed other sorts of services on the network will differ in accordance with time and location. GBR has a pretty serious job to do, but the reason why the freight growth target is enshrined in this legislation more than once is to emphasise the...

My Lords, again, I am grateful to the Minister for his responses, in particular, his helpful clarification that the reference at Clause 60(4)(b) to “other railway passenger services” includes heritage charter operators. I associate myself with my noble friend Lord Moylan’s remark that “have regard to” is not a binding...

My Lords, again, I am grateful to the Minister for his responses, in particular, his helpful clarification that the reference at Clause 60(4)(b) to “other railway passenger services” includes heritage charter operators. I associate myself with my noble friend Lord Moylan’s remark that “have regard to” is not a binding...

Moved by

Lord Moylan

240: Clause 64, page 36, line 31, leave out paragraph (b)

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would remove the requirement for GBR to charge in relation to trains which are planned to use GBR infrastructure but do not operate, or do not operate in full.

Moved by

Lord Moylan

240: Clause 64, page 36, line 31, leave out paragraph (b)

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would remove the requirement for GBR to charge in relation to trains which are planned to use GBR infrastructure but do not operate, or do not operate in full.

My Lords, we are trespassing into what might be slight newer ground, having so far been discussing broadly similar subjects in relation to access. Some of these amendments might appear a little trivial—or, at least, technical—but they are of importance to the freight industry, in particular, and to other users...

My Lords, we are trespassing into what might be slight newer ground, having so far been discussing broadly similar subjects in relation to access. Some of these amendments might appear a little trivial—or, at least, technical—but they are of importance to the freight industry, in particular, and to other users...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Moylan, for introducing this group of amendments, some of which are in my name. It is particularly relevant when you look at the way in which freight trains operate, how much they pay and what happens when things go wrong....

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Moylan, for introducing this group of amendments, some of which are in my name. It is particularly relevant when you look at the way in which freight trains operate, how much they pay and what happens when things go wrong....